Despite his youth, the star from Teaneck, New Jersey had already had five previous chart singles, which had yielded nine separate titles on the bestsellers with their double-sided success. Four of the five A-sides (‘A Teenager’s Romance,’ ‘Be-Bop Baby,’ ‘Stood Up’ and ‘Believe What You Say’) were top five hits, and several official B-sides were big favourites too, especially ‘I’m Walking.’

‘Poor Little Fool’ had made its chart debut on 7 July, when Billboard still had no fewer than three weekly surveys of the most popular hits of the week. The 50-title Best Selling Pop Singles In Stores showed Nelson’s new release debuting at a powerful No.18, the same position at which it debuted on Top 100 Sides. It was yet to show on the 25-strong Most Played By Jockeys, but it burst onto that list a week later at No. 8.

What’s not always remembered is that while Billboard dropped the Most Played By Jockeys and Top 100 Sides charts when it introduced the Hot 100, it retained Best Selling Pop Singles In Stores for another two months. ‘Poor Little Fool’ led that list on 4 and 11 August, just as it did the Hot 100.

The song was written by the fine rock ‘n’ roll songwriter Sharon Sheeley, when she was just 15, in the mid-1950s, and legend has it that she actively pursued Nelson to record it. After ‘Poor Little Fool’ was a hit, she became Eddie Cochran’s girlfriend and co-wrote his timeless ‘Somethin’ Else,’ among other songs.

Chuck White & I shared $5 for mowing a lawn. With my proceeds I bought Poor Little Fool by Ricky Nelson & High School Confidential by Jerry Lee Lewis. Pretty good choice on the first records I ever bought. Shoulda been a disc jockey instead of an accountant.